Improved camp-bedstead



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHRISTIAN FOSTENSEN, HANS IVERSEN, AND CHARLES J. SKOW, OF

RACINE, W'ISCONSIN.

IMPROVED CAMP-BED-STEAD.

To all whom t may conce/rn Be it known that we, CHRis'rIAN Fos'rEN- SEN, HANS IVERsEN, and CHARLES J. SKoW, all of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of llisconsin,r have invented new and useful Improvements in Gamp-Bedsteads; and we do hereby declare that the followin gis afull, clear and exact description thereof, whichv will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bedsteads, by which, when not in use, they can be folded up into a compact shape, and thus be convenient for transportation or storage. The advantages of such a bedstead and its especial applicability for camp purposes are manifest, and therefore need no particular mention herein.

I secure the above result by attaching the sacking (which can be in the form of a mattress or not, as may be desired, made of the proper width and length) by its side edges to and upon suitable bars or rods for nearly its entire length, leaving a short portion thereof at each end free of the same, but respectively V secured in and `to frames hung at their inner ends by pivots or hinges on the side barsused, and so arranged as to be easily adjusted to any desired position thereon, for purposes that will be hereinafter specified.

The bedstead, arranged and constructed as described,is supported on cross-legs at or near each end, which cross-legs are connected together by a horizontal bar, extending from onel to the other, strengthening, stiffening, and rendering them sufficiently rigid to sustain whatever weight is upon the bed.' l

The parts composing the bedstead and its supports are so arranged that they can be easily and readily detached from each other at pleasure, whereby they can be rolled or put together into a very compact form for transportation or storage, as will be presently described. i In the accompanying plate of drawings, Figure l is a view of the under side of the bedstead when set up; Fig. 2, a View showing it in compact form, or rolled up; Fig. 3, an end view; and Fig. 4, a detail View, to be hereinafter particularly referred to.

a a in the drawings represent the sacking of the bedstead, made in the form of a mattress, and of suitable length and Width, attached to side pieces or bars, b b, by sewing` or nailing or in any other proper manner, for nearly its entire length, but having short pieces c-and d at each end, which are secured in any proper manner by their side edges to and upon short bars ff and g g, hung at their inner ends on pivots h It of the side pieces, b b.

VAt the outer ends of the short swinging bars `ff,and extending from one to the other across and under the mattress through loops h h, is a cross bar or rod, l, having on each end a short pin, m, entering the bars ff, by which it is held in position, the said cross-bar also pre- Venting the mattress from sagging, and serving as a support for its end.-

At each end m m of the side bars, b b, is

a short right-angular plate, n n, with each ofv which, when the frame (consisting of the bars j' f and its cross-brace l) is turned up at an inclination to the main portion of the mattress, secured to the side bars, b b, as described, the teeth o o of a short swing-arm, p, of the bars f f engage, as represented in Fig. 4, whereby the mattress can be raised and set at one end at the proper and desired height to form apilf low, as it were, for the persons head lying upon the bed. To the outer ends. of the other swinging bars, g g, to which the foot portion of the mattress is attached, as before described, short upright arms g q are hung, the upper ends of which are connected together by a cross-bar, r, passing through loops s of the mattress, and held by short pins at each ot' its ends therein, as before described for the cross-brace l, and for the same purpose, this frame being held in a horizontal position by projecting plates t t on each of the side bars, I b b, of the mattress.

u u are the legs or supports for the bedstead at or near each end of the same, each made of two strips or pieces of Wood, o c, attached together at or near their centers by a pivot or screw, w, on which they can be freely turned. In upper end of each strip u is a short pin, a',

a nich, when the bedstead is set up for use, are insertedand securely held in .propenshaped apertures on the under portion of the side bars. y is a longitudinal bar extending from one leg to another, and held between the same by short projecting studs z z upon the inner sides ot' the legs, over each of which its caps a a on its ends t, as seen in Fig. l, for 'the purpose of' stiffening and rendering the legs more irm and rigid.

When the bedstead is not in use, or when desired to pack it away or to move it from one place to another, it can be easily and readily taken down, the swinging frame at each of its ends first being relieved of their cross braces or bars held in them, as described, and then the mattress portion attached to them swung over and upon the main portion of the mattress, when the longitudinal brace ofthe supporting-legs is removed and the legs detached from the bedstead, and, being folded up, are, together with the cross-bars of vthe swinging frames and the longitudinal bar of the legs7 laid upon the main portion of the'mattress or sacking, and rolled up with the saine into the shape represen ted in Fig. 2, and there securely held Aby straps and buckles b and c', respectively, on each of the side bars ot the bedstead thus brought together, in which form it is very compact and convenient for transportation vor storage, the advantages of which for camp purposes are evident.

To set up the bedstead, it is first necessary to unstrap it, when the parts can be readily and quickly put together, as hereinbetore described, and represented in the drawings.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A l. The combination and arrangement of the sacking u, side bars, b b, short end pieces, c and d, bars fand g, rod l, plates n n, arms p and q, plates t t, bar y, and legs u u, substantially as described.

2. Attaching the two ends ot' the mattress or sacking used for the bedstead to and Within a swinging frame of its side bars, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.

CHRISTIAN FOSTENSEN. HANS IVERSEN. CHARLES J. SKOW.

Witnesses:

I. E. MOREY, D. MoDoNALD. 

